To learn great proverbs better, record them and play the recording once in a while. By this you may rise to make much better use of them, or the sensible wisdom or life knowledge some of them contain [Lojong].

Also, many sorts of reservations are presupposed for all who want to get something of current value out of proverbs from other climes and times. For example, for "Girls marry to please parents, widows to please themselves", read for example, "Lots of girls marry to please parents, widows to please themselves." You need to consider things on your own too, and some light-handed proverb training along such lines could be good help.

Jerome Bruner finds that proverbs are used a lot to express and foster culture by such as the insights into humans they give vent to, and by the attitudes and half-norms many of the folk sayings propagate. For example, proverbs of thrifty people tend to advocate thrift, although alternative set-ups can be found too. If there is doubt, I prefer to consider the dubious proverb as exposing things, but not directly advocating it.

This said, we may need to ask which sort of culture we want to pass along ourselves, where we happen to be on the surface of the earth.

Many Chinese proverbs are excellent - something to be thankful for.

- Tormod Kinnes

Talking of the wind

In this selection, almost every proverb on weather signs is omitted, for such proverbs appear to be too local. "Does it apply in Polynesia?" may be a question to test a weather proverb by. Well, that some proverbs relate to conditions that are hardly universal, goes almost without saying. So why have I included the proverb that "The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a storm rising in the mountain." right below? At first sight it may not seem to apply at all where there are no towers or the winds usually goes toward the mountains and not away from them - or where there are no mountains, as in flat Denmark.

And yet, if taken to as a figurative expression, the proverb could apply in Denmark too, being considered as giving vent to something interesting or significant that is picturesquely, even figuratively expressed. It depends on interpretations, and set, figurative interpretations of proverbs are in use the world over. Some such interpretations are part of the heritage of China, as part of a long line of tradition.

It is not unusual to throw light on a matter or an issue by applying a proverb to it freshly too. I once observed how a father who was painting his house green, used an unfinished proverb about "If all should eat the same porridge -" to ward off the criticism of a neighbour wife who passed by and said she did not like the colour. She talked of colour, he for his choice, by applying an old Norwegian saying that allows for variation. He ambushed her criticism by porridge, and her momentarily bewilderment was actually amusing. So: "Proverbs may be learnt, proverbs may be used." Not a few of them come in handy in many circumstances.

In such a light the proverb about the wind sweeping through the tower tells of great men and things they encounter. Such a suggestion ties in with proverbs about wind and tall trees and tall mountains, proverbs that are commonly used to suggest experiences of leaders through towers and tall trees among men, anyhow. There is a neat example: When a former prime minister of Norway, Thorbjørn Jagland, resigned from the post on his doctor's advice, he said, "It blows hard on the tops." So, even though the Chinese windy saying does not seem to apply, maybe it does still, depending on how it is understood, and on how it is used.

The second best times tend to
be more difficult

The great question is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with
failure.

Enjoy yourself. It may be later than you think. [Mod]

If you don't scale the mountain, you can't view the plain. [After planes arrived, you can, though]

Girls marry to please parents, widows to please themselves.

The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a storm rising in the mountain. [Not in Denmark -]

Not a few things at first appear difficult. [Mod]

A rat who gnaws at a cat's tail invites destruction.

A mouse-catching dog steps on the cats' paws.

Paper can't wrap up a fire.

Do not tear down the east wall to repair the west.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.

No wind, no waves.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a
lifetime.

Conquerors are kings; the beaten are bandits.

Man is heaven and earth in miniature.

The sheep has no choice when in the jaws of the wolf.

The best memory is not so firm as faded ink.

Take a second look; it costs you nothing.

When the cat is gone, the mice come out to stretch.

Deal with the faults of others almost as gently as with your own. [Mod]

You cannot hook trout? Try digging clams.

How can you expect to find ivory in a dog's mouth?

A red-nosed man may be a teetotaller, but will find no one to believe it. ◊

It is at times useless to mend a sinking boat in the middle of the sea. *

Withholding truth generates fears and obsessions along the way of life. *

A man hated the way he walked and decided to learn how people in the city of Handan carried
themselves. The result was that not only did he fail to learn the new style, but he also
forgot his own way of walking. He could only but crawl back to his hometown, where he became
a laughing stock.

William Scarborough translated and arranged a collection of 2720 Chinese proverbs. They were published by the American Presbyterian Mission Press in Shanghai and by Trübner and Co. in London in 1875.

Scarborough says it is most difficult to classify the proverbs. I have arranged this selection of 195 proverbs alphabetically, simply. Besides, I have not been as keen on rhymes and rough versification as Scarborough, either. Some proverbs are abridged by me; others are more or less modified. Added information in round brackets is found in Scarborough's work. Added information in square bracket is by me.

Classical proverbial sayings are not included in Scarborough's work. See another page to read into them. [Link]

A blind cock too chances on a grain.

A clever daughter-in-law cannot cook without rice.

A conceited man beholds an empty world. [Mod]

A fool lets one of his water-buckets fall, and rushes on as if nothing had happened at all.

A frog in a well can hardly get out.

A good bird selects its tree.

A good fellow will stick to his bargain.

A good-looking woman should need no rouge to make her pretty.

A great tree affords a pleasant shade.

A great tree attracts the wind (A rich man is likely to tempt the squeezers).

A human body is hard to beg [The idea is that it may be hard for the bad man to get a human body in a future life, even the body of a beast].

A little food taken again and again [may] enable the sick new health to attain.

A luckless man asks for a loan which no one grants.

A man of few desires may help his health too.

A man's meaning becomes visible when he opens his mouth.

A mountain of snow melts into a river through the warmth of the sun in the sky.

A poor man may have a noble inclination. [Abr]

A stupid man cannot show mercy.

A treasure that follows its owner everywhere is good learning.

A troublesomely great talker is not barred from making mistakes. [Mod]

The 89 sayings and proverbs and maxims that follow, are taken from Brian Brown's The Wisdom of the Chinese: Their Philosophy in Sayings and Proverbs. As we read into these elegant sayings, the question might rise, "How would it be to explore and eventually master things like this? Will it help against conform taming, for example?" It could be. For example, "A semblance of a thing is not the real thing," (Mencius) may easily be transposed onto topics that deal with decorating, interiors, architecture, where some materials are of "feigned" sorts, perhaps given a veneer of the real thing, to look all right by semblance. As time goes by, problems may arise from "looking like you ain't" by powder and paint too, not just from veneered or feigned items. Genuineness may be called for. It has the call for quality or thorough-going authenticity on its side. If we heed the old decree of Mencius, it might in fact affect our home and looks for the better, and has to do with being above just seeming.

Well, that was one item from the Far East of yore. Speaking of conform taming per se, even great taming can yield good harvests on a larger scale. And it may also be fruitful to stop in the face of danger. Learn to consider too.

It hardly seems wrong to suggest that the cores of these proverbs and sayings from the Far East are fit, and that the fruits of adjusting our life course somewhat to them might help us to get beyond much lesser commitments that otherwise tend to crowd out fair pursuits by filling much our time.

Confucius set forth seven rules needed for improvement: Investigating; trying to know better; sincere thoughts and acts; rectifying of the heart; cultivating the person; regulating the family and the government. Compare Buddha's Gentle Middle Path and his Kalama Sutta. {p. 16-17]

Gurus say you should listen to and heed the scriptures also. "Let the scripture be the authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in the ordinance of the scriptures, you should act here in this world." [Bhagavad Gita 16:24] A question is, "Which scriptures?" There are many, many dozens of them in Hinduism alone, and they do not always speak similarly. A guru might say, "Focus on the Bhagavad Gita; the Tirukkural of South India is not that important," for example, and point to levels of content for one thing.

The first turn here is to handle the statements that follow as famous citations and other sentiments to ponder - just that.

A great man never loses the simplicity of a child. [Mencius, 78]

A man should choose a friend who is better than himself; if only like himself, he had better have none. [197]

A semblance of a thing is not the real thing. [Mencius, 74, mod]

A true scholar holds possession of himself and his virtue. [Mencius, 68, abr]

A virtuous woman is a source of honour to her husband; a vicious one causes him disgrace. [198]

Allow the ear to hear what it likes, the eye to see what it likes, the mouth to say what it likes, the body to enjoy the comforts it likes to have, and the mind to do what it likes.

[From what is being advocated: Music, beauty, rich food, fine clothing, and being at peace.]

Obstructions of such likes are a source of vexation. [Kuan-yi Wu, 148]

As it is impossible to please men in all things, our only care should be to satisfy our own consciences. [199]

As the scream of the eagle is heard when she has passed over, so a man's name remains after his death. [184]

Be not self-deceived in wisdom, look farther. [Confucius] {15]

Better be upright with poverty than depraved abundance. [186]

Dig your well before you are thirsty. [Mencius, 78]

Does the swallow know the wild goose's course? [175]

Doubt and distraction are on earth; the brightness of truth in Heaven. [184]

Each grass blade has its drop of dew. [Kang-Hsi. 146]

Ease and pleasure are in accord with human nature. [Yu Tse, 149. Edited]

Easy to get a thousand prescriptions; hard to obtain a cure. [176]

Every blade of grass has its share of the dews of heaven. [198]

Falling hurts least those who fly low. [175]

For the mouth to desire sweet tastes, the eye to desire beautiful colours, the ear to desire pleasant sounds, the nose to desire fragrant odours, and the four limbs to desire rest and ease, — these things are natural. [Mencius, 75-76]

Forbearance is the jewel of home. [Mencius, 78]

He who soars not, suffers not by a fall. [Mencius, 78]

He whose goodness is part of himself, is what is called a real man. [Mencius, 72]

Hearts knit in childhood's innocence. [Su Wu, 164]

How can fame come of itself? [Yang Chu, 138]

However much you promise, never fail to pay. [174]

If one treat me unreasonably, I will say: "Why vex myself about a wild beast?" [Mencius, 70, abr]

If riches can be acquired with propriety, then acquire them; but let not unjust wealth be sought for with violence. [185]

If you have books and will not give instruction, your offspring will be ignorant [and] propriety and justice will not abound among them. [189]

In our actions we should accord with the will of Heaven. [192]

In reading a book we seek for reason . . . reason to enlighten a man's heart. [189]

Injure others, injure yourself. [178]

It is a serious matter to lose one's virtue. [178, abr]

It is better to avert the malady by care than to have to apply the physic after it has appeared. [194]

It is great to be a helper of men to right living. [Mencius, 67, mod]

It is too late to pull the rein when the horse has gained the brink of the precipice; the time for stopping the leak is past when the vessel is in the middle of the river. [200]

Just scales and full measure injure no man. [174]

Knowing what is right, without practicing it, denotes a want of proper resolution. [193]

Leisure breeds lust. [177]

Let a man first stand fast in the supremacy of the nobler part of his constitution. [Mencius, 73]

Let every man sweep the snow from before his own doors and not trouble himself about the frost on his neighbour's tiles. [185]

Let the instructed lead the way by example. [Kang-Hsi, 147]

Let us be merry with those that we love. [Anon]

Let young and old be as one body, their joys and sorrows as of one family. [Kang-Hsi. 147]

Let your words be few and your companions select; thus you will avoid remorse and repentance, sorrow and shame. [192]

Man does not live by experience alone, but by transcending experience. [Mencius, 74]

Mencius: "A drowning kingdom must be rescued by right principles." [Mencius, 81]

One generation plants the trees; another sits in their shade. [178]

Only he who has studied his mental constitution knows his nature; knowing his nature, he knows Heaven. [Mencius, 71]

Only those become priests who cannot earn a living. [176]

Passions must be ruled by laws of propriety. [188, mod]

Plausible words are not so good as straightforward conduct. [202]

Spirits know your secret sins. [Mencius, 81, abr]

Swim with one foot on the ground. [Mencius, 78]

The beautiful bird gets caged. [171]

The best cure for drunkenness is, whilst sober, to observe a drunken man. [193]

The cleverest doctor cannot save himself. [176]

The evidence of a single glance should not be relied on as true, nor are words spoken behind a man's back deserving of much credence. [201]

The good-looking woman needs no paint. [178]

The goodness of a house does not consist in its lofty halls, but in its excluding the weather. [196]

The great man is he who does not lose his child-heart. He simply abides in the right. [Mencius, 70]

The man of first-rate excellence is virtuous independently of instruction; he of the middling class is so after instruction; the lowest order of men are vicious in spite of instruction. [183]

The same tree may produce sour and sweet fruit; the same mother may have a virtuous and vicious progeny. [184]

The sea cannot be scooped up in a tumbler. [Mencius, 82]

The skilful artist will not alter his measures for the sake of a stupid workman. [Mencius, 68]

The truly wise keep earnest about what is most important. Cultivate an earnest affection for the virtuous. And if not affection, appraisal. [Cf. Mencius, 73]

The virtues are not poured into us, they are natural. [Mencius, 70]

The white clouds pass; the blue heaven abides. [Mencius, 80]

The wise place virtue in thought. [Mencius, 80]

There are plenty of acquaintances in the world, but very few real friends. [197]

They are great men who follow that part of them which is great. Let one stand in his nobler part, and the meaner will not be able to take it from him. This is simply what makes greatness. [Mencius, 72]

Those who do not set their destiny at defiance, do not desire a long life; and those who are not too fond of honour, do not desire reputation. [Yang Chu, 141]

Though candid advice be unpleasant to the ear, it is profitable to the conduct. [196-97]

Though your son be well-disposed, if he is not instructed, he will still remain ignorant. [189]

Through his mental faculties man gets to some forms of righteousness and propriety. [Cf. Tse-Chan, 152]

Tigers and deer do not stroll together. [172]

To be incorruptible by riches or honours, unchangeable by poverty . . . these I call . . . qualities of a great man. [Mencius, 75]

To lose one's virtue is a great matter. [Kang-His, 147]

To nourish the real constitution of our being is serving Heaven. [Mencius, 68, mod]

To reason with a fool is a difficult undertaking. [200]

To save one life is better than to build a seven-story pagoda. [177]

Unskilled fools quarrel with their tools. [178]

What makes human life pleasant? Comfort and elegance, music and beauty. Yet one cannot always gratify the desire for comfort and elegance, nor incessantly enjoy beauty and music. [Yang Chu, 139]

When a worthless man has much wealth, it increases his faults. [191]

When one subdues men by virtue, they are pleased to the heart's core and sincerely submit. [Mencius, 76]

When the mirror is highly polished, the dust will not defile it. [190]

Smith, Arthur Henderson. Proverbs and Common Sayings from the Chinese, together with Much Related and Unrelated Matter, Interspersed with Observations on Chinese Things-in-General. Shanghai: The American Presbyterian Mission Press, 1914.